


Running Wild

by redpenship



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Beastars AU, Gen, Kind of a murder mystery, Tails' POV, doesn't really follow the tem arc, heed the warnings!! characters do die in this story, you dont need to know anything about beastars to read this story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:20:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24934414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redpenship/pseuds/redpenship
Summary: Tails was deemed dangerous the moment he was born. A predator animal in a divided society, his only anchor has been his best friend Sonic, a prey animal that has always sought to defy his status as a fragile animal in need of protection.When a friend is eaten, the two must confront their identities and natures as they vow to find his killer. With a wide range of culprits and potentially deadly consequences, a simple murder case may prove more difficult than thought.A Beastars AU.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 32





	Running Wild

**Author's Note:**

> hey everyone! i have been working on this au with @copperstarcanid on twitter, and i'm very excited to share it here. 
> 
> we hope you enjoy reading!

On Tails' first day at Cherryton Academy, a hedgehog student was chased into the public gardens and murdered.

Well, not murdered. _Eaten_.

The news came at the end of a very long day. Rather than attend classes, Tails spent his first day of high school being paraded around campus by a senior volunteer who tried a little too hard to make a good impression. Normally, Tails was considered to be patient and kind and had little trouble feigning enthusiasm for even the most boring of topics. But today, he struggled. He often found his gaze wandering to the windows, where his eyes would land on a building visible from all corners of campus: the prey dormitory.

Something special awaited him inside. Something that, regrettably, he hadn't seen face-to-face in a little more than three years. With the distance between them now so little, the wait was suddenly unbearable. It was hard to remember how he'd dealt with it for so long back home.

The moment orientation ended, Tails forewent the party for first-years to socialize and took off down the concrete trail that led to the dormitories. Both tall buildings, they were alike in colour and size and differentiated only by their inhabitants. He had to ignore an odd look as he entered the doors to the prey dormitory and punched in a name into the building's intercom.

The voice that responded over the grainy speaker was achingly familiar.

_"Hey! You know where to find me."_

He did. The door buzzed and he entered the lobby, where he stepped into an elevator and hit the button for the ninth floor. They had been planning this for months—it was almost more important to him than the act of going to school itself. His foot tapped with excitement as the elevator rose to its destination.

It was easy to remember the directions from their thousands of direct messages: _turn right after the elevator, then keep going down the hall until you find room 915 on the left._ For a brief moment, he paused in front of the door to room 915 that seemed so plain but held so much significance. Should he have prepared what to say? He had no idea what awaited him behind the door.

_This is silly,_ he thought to himself. Then he rapped his knuckles against the door.

It swung open. His childhood best friend awaited him on the other side.

"Tails!" Sonic exclaimed. He pulled him into a tight hug. Tails instinctively remembered where to place his arms on his back so as to not cut them and then hugged back with just as much force. Displays of intimacy were rare with Sonic, so he was determined to savour it while it lasted.

They pulled back and a grin formed on Tails' face. Around other prey animals, he would cover his mouth with the back of his hand to hide his canines. Revealing them, even during a smile, was an offence deemed impolite at best and aggressive at worst. Many of his daily functions were impeded by a need to hide his teeth, or his claws, or to contain his strength while in the presence of non-predator animals.

Thankfully, this was not the case with Sonic. The hedgehog was quicker to take offence at the presumption of offence and had grown angry with Tails many times during their childhood for trying to hide these traits from him.

It was relieving, in a way, to be around someone who didn't think he was dangerous.

"You've gotten a little taller," Tails said, trying to return the favour of confidence. This elicited a groan from Sonic.

"Ugh. Look at this," he said. He planted his hand flat against the top of his head, then swiped it towards Tails. It collided with his ear. "We're basically the same height. You're so much younger than me, too. This sucks." A pause. "Wanna come inside?"

Sonic didn't wait for a reply before he turned on his heels and made his way into the dorm. Sheepishly, Tails kicked off his shoes and followed him inside, where compartment bunk beds were built into the walls and their two inhabitants watched him expectantly.

The innate awkwardness of being _watched_ hit him like a wave. He resisted the urge to tug on his school uniform and forced away his smile to hide his teeth. "Hi, I'm Sonic's friend."

A red figure shifted on the top bunk near the window. Like all the residents in this room, he was some type of spiked rodent, but Tails couldn't quite nail his species at first glance. His spines were long for a hedgehog, but his nose was too narrow to be a porcupine. He racked his brain for an answer but came up short. It could be difficult to remember the name of every species and subspecies that existed on their planet.

The red figure gave him a smug smile. "I'm an echidna, by the way. My name is Knuckles."

He berated himself for that one. Of course, this was Knuckles! As Sonic's primary venting partner, he'd heard all about Knuckles the Echidna, Sonic's antagonistic roommate that butted heads with him over matters as mundane as not putting his shoes in the front entrance closet.

He swallowed his embarrassment. "Sorry. Sonic complains about you a lot, so it's nice to finally meet you."

On the top bunk across the aisle from Knuckles, Sonic shot Tails a dirty look. "What the hell, man? Those convos are private."

Knuckles laughed. "You _do_ like to talk about other people," he retorted. He focused again on Tails. "So, I guess it's true that you have two tails?"

Self-consciously, he tucked his tails against his legs to hide them. "Yeah, I do."

"Huh. That's pretty fucked up."

"Knuckles, don't be mean!" cried a female voice to Tails' right. Sitting on a bottom bunk was a pink hedgehog that Tails had no trouble naming. Like Knuckles, she too had been the subject of many complaints. _Amy Rose_. "He probably gets bullied enough about it as it is. He doesn't need his best friend's friends to make fun of him, too."

Sonic rubbed his hands down his face in exasperation. "You don't even live here!"

"Okay, true, but please consider that"—she gestured to the empty bunk around her— "your mysterious fourth roommate never actually sleeps here, so it's not like he's going to get mad at me for occasionally relaxing in his bed anyway."

"Occasionally?" Sonic said. His voice dripped with disbelief. "You're here every day. Don't you have other friends?"

"Yeah, but they're not as interesting. They only talk about three things: schoolwork, food, and their shitty relationships with their fathers." She tallied off the list on her fingers for emphasis. "It's just better here, you know? At least when you fight it's entertaining. Even if it makes Silver sad."

The room fell silent. Sonic sat up a little straighter. "I haven't seen Silver since this morning. Do any of you know where he went?"

"I just assumed he was in the garden," said Knuckles. "Doesn't he go there to hang out with that cat?"

"Oh, you're right. He must be with Blaze."

This was a new name to Tails' ears. "Who's that?"

Sonic slid off his bed and landed lightly on his feet. He gave Tails a soft shove and directed him to the door. "Come on, let's get out of here. Why don't I introduce you to my other friends?"

As they left through the door, Tails heard a distant " _boo!"_ from Amy. If her feelings for Sonic were as strong as the blue hedgehog had led him to believe through their messages, she probably didn't appreciate the sudden departure. He didn't have much time to dwell on her before Sonic started to speak again.

"Sorry that they're so weird," Sonic apologized. "They were a lot ruder than usual, too. Even Knuckles is nice most of the time."

"Senioritis," Tails offered. "They've stopped caring."

Sonic gave him a look he couldn't quite figure out. "Yeah, I guess that could be it."

The elevator arrived and they moved inside. The descent was quiet, and Tails used the moment to look at his friend from the corner of his eye. Sonic hadn't grown much since he was fifteen, and his quills were shorter than they used to be. He seemed softer than he did three years ago—less rough around the edges. As the elevator hit the lobby, he wondered to himself if there were other ways Sonic had changed during his years at Cherryton.

The sun was setting as they walked across campus, passing large groups of students that lounged on the grass of the courtyard as they enjoyed their last precious moments of reunion before curfew. Now that he was with Sonic, he could finally appreciate the campus for what it was. Located on the crest of a tall hill, the school overlooked the sprawling city below, a sight that was even more beautiful when accented by the warm oranges and pinks of sundown. Suddenly, he could understand why Sonic had chosen not to come home during his time abroad. The busy cityscape seemed far more suited for him than the calm sea that surrounded South Island.

They entered the principal building for classrooms and headed up a flight of stairs. They walked down a hallway along the fourth floor until they came upon two large, metal doors in the back wall. Sonic threw them open, and when Tails emerged on the other side, it was like he was in a different world.

The garden, compared to other areas of the school, felt peaceful. The elevated courtyard was decorated with colorful blooming flowers of all shapes and sizes. Despite the time of year, the air was thick with the aroma of spring and it smelled _pretty._

He was pulled out of his flower-induced haze when Sonic chuckled beside him. "It's funny when you sniff like that. Smell something good?"

Embarrassed, Tails focused on controlling his breathing. "Just the flowers. They're nice."

They found them behind the garden shed. A purple cat and a white hedgehog huddled around a soil bed filled with delicate daylilies, a breed of colorful flowers that didn't seem to be in a healthy state. The problem seemed to have left the two gardeners in a trance. Focused on the wrinkled petals and drooping buds, they didn't hear Sonic and Tails' approach.

"I think they're dying," mumbled Silver. His voice was quiet. "What did we do wrong?"

Blaze hummed in thought. "Hmm. I'm not sure. These are usually pretty easy to keep alive."

Silver reached forward to prod a petal with his finger. "It's like they're curling in on themselves."

"Maybe they're just shy," said Sonic.

Blaze and Silver whipped their heads to face them. Silver smiled warmly and jumped to his feet. "Sonic! I thought you hated coming here."

"Not all the time," he replied. He motioned to the drooping lilies. "Killing plants on day one?"

Silver's smile dropped. "There are over fifty species in this garden. It's hard to keep them all in perfect condition."

Looking around, Tails tried to count the different species of flowers he could see around him. It was impossible. With pots and flowerbeds laid down all over the ground and hanging from every fixture, the term _garden_ was an inadequate descriptor. _Jungle_ seemed far more appropriate.

"It's really impressive," he mused. "Is it just the two of you taking care of them?"

Silver opened his mouth to speak but stopped before a sound could come out of his mouth. He gave Tails a once-over, eyes lingering on his lower half for a moment. "Oh, hi! You must be Tails."

Were his tails really the only feature Sonic had used to describe him? "Yeah, that's me. Silver, right?"

" _Enchanté,_ " he said, then grabbed Tails' wrist and began to pull him away. "Foxes are kind of like dogs, right? You have a good sense of smell?"

As Tails let Silver drag him away, he heard Sonic laugh and then start speaking to Blaze. Silver came to stop in front of a bed filled with tall, violet flowers that bloomed in a reed-like shape. After a moment, Tails recognized them as lavender. "I'm a red fox, so worse than dogs, actually. But I'm still pretty good."

"Better or worse than a hedgehog?" Silver asked. He stared intently into the soil around the stems. "We're good, too. I can smell three inches into the earth. I think we used it to find worms and insects, or something like that. I don't know. This was all back before it was illegal."

_Back then_ was over two centuries ago. It wasn't taught very well in school, and the gaps in knowledge always left Tails' imagination running wild. The thought of predator and prey, living distinct lives of pursuit and fear, made the lavenders in front of him seem less innocent. Would they have been trampled by a wolf in pursuit of a rabbit all those years ago? His jaw clenched at the idea of doing it himself. It was a strange feeling, to know that if he'd been born in a slightly different time, he would be used to the taste of blood by now.

It was this feeling that led him to look down to make sure his claws were hidden from Silver's view. Like his canines, these too were considered rude to show around prey. Sonic had always hated that definition, explaining more than once that despite their accepted status as prey animals, hedgehogs had been more akin to insectivores back in the wild, feasting on whatever small creatures they could find just below the earth's surface _. Prey, but not like harmless herbivores._ It was a risible analysis; hedgehogs were just as prey as rabbits. They were only seen as less desirable to hunt because of their sharp spines. Although considered a prickly nuisance by most, Silver's long spines were admirable. They would make him very hard to kill.

Tails responded carefully, hoping to move away from the topic. Speaking with prey about the old days always felt incredibly awkward. "Does your sense of smell help with gardening?"

"Not really. I'm not very good at it," Silver said with a shrug. "Now, come on: let's test out your not-actually-so-good nose on these lavenders."

Silver gently pulled a stem towards them, inviting Tails to sniff its bloom. Its fragrance was heavy and reminded him of the summers he spent in nature, back when he was younger and didn't have many concerns other than finding something fun to do in the forest near his home. Lavender was familiar to him—his mother infused its oil with her tea, and would always give some to Tails whenever he became upset. It was calming and brought back so many childhood memories at once that only Silver's voice drew him back to reality.

"It's not the prettiest flower, but when you press it into oil, you can use it to soothe anxiety and insomnia," Silver told him, pulling the flower away from his nose. "It helps stomach issues, too. I usually end up making a lot of it for older pred' students."

The calmness dissipated all at once. "Older predators?"

Silver gestured awkwardly to Tails' midsection. "You know, for the cravings you get when you're older."

_Meat cravings._ Tails' stomach twisted at the thought. The dark underbelly of every predator's existence, meat cravings were ultimately what set apart predator and prey. They manifested in anxiety, aching hunger, and a loss of control over one's actions—all coalescing together to become an urge to _kill_ and _devour_ that predators spent their whole lives struggling to suppress. It was a fact of life. And it terrified him.

A couple of years too young to have them, he was lucky to currently live a cravings-free life. But their incoming existence was impossible to ignore. Sometime over the next few years, they would come to him in the forms of mild hunger and vague, undefined desires. Then they would only become worse. On sleepless nights, this notion of predatory instinct rendered him paralyzed with fear. He had many memories of staring out his bedroom window into the starry sky and thinking of nothing else but the inevitable moment he looked into a prey animal's eyes and felt _hungry._

Some predators had it worse than others. He hoped, thanks to the omnivorous nature of wild foxes, that his urges would be well subdued by vegetables and soy burgers. But even this was no certainty. Like the predators Silver dealt with, would he be so easily sated by soothing lavender tea? Or would he one day snap and attack the first prey animal to catch his eye, as predators did so often?

The display of predator-like traits was not considered impolite because they evoked painful reminders of the past. It was impolite because every so often, a prey animal was assaulted and eaten by a predator that had lost control. The sight of canines and claws only served as a fierce reminder that any prey animal, no matter species or strength, could one day be dominated and devoured by any predator in their vicinity.

He thought of Silver meeting with hungry predators in the isolated garden, jars of lavender oil at the ready, leaving himself wide open to any of their dark intentions. It was a dangerous practice.

"Is that really a good idea?" Tails asked. His momentary concern pushed aside his shame. "It's risky to be around predators with cravings."

"Pfft. I'd like to see them try anything." Silver waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "My spines are just as sharp as your claws. There's a reason hedgehogs are never targeted in predation incidents."

If he were to shave his fur, Tails was sure he would find dozens of scars on his arms and legs from his times playing with Sonic as kids. He was _very_ aware of how lethal hedgehog spines could be.

"Well, except that one time," Silver continued. "Do you remember when that hedgehog was eaten a few years ago?"

Of course, Tails remembered. It was impossible to forget—especially when he was reminded of it every time he stared into Sonic's green eyes. "I do."

"He died because he broke the golden hedgehog rule: don't curl up," Silver explained. He ran a hand through his spines. "These are meant to protect us, but they only really supply a false sense of security. It's not very difficult to uncurl us if you're careful. Most predators don't know this, so they don't try. But the person that killed the hedgehog—they knew, and they used it to kill him. That's why it's better to just run away."

Tails had trouble wrapping his head around this concept. "Doesn't that also open you up? It seems like it would be just as dangerous."

"You may be good at hiding your claws, but when you ask questions like that, it becomes obvious that you think like a predator," Silver said with a light laugh. "If someone is attacking you, and they know how to bypass your only defense, isn't it better to abandon it entirely?"

Silver stood up. Tails followed suit, watching him with steady eyes. "How many of them have you told this to?"

An obviously fake look of confusion. "Told who?"

"The predators that come to you for lavender oil."

"Well, I wouldn't tell anyone I didn't trust," he mused, tapping his chin as he looked to the sky. "I guess that's why I've told every single one of them."

Stunned silence. Somewhere in the school, a dozen or so predators suffering from cravings now knew how to kill and eat any hedgehog they so desired. It was irresponsible. Stupid. _Completely dangerous._

"If I was worried they would act on their impulses, I wouldn't say anything," Silver told him, as though reading his thoughts. His expression turned somber. "When they come to me for help, they're at a low point. They don't trust themselves, and they certainly don't expect prey animals to trust them either. But I need them to believe that I trust them, otherwise they might not be honest enough for me to figure out their oil dose. That's why I teach them how to kill me. For a hedgehog like me, it's the ultimate gesture of trust."

Silver began to walk back to Sonic and Blaze, leaving Tails alone by the lavenders for a moment. Was that what this weird conversation had been the whole time? A gesture of trust from a hedgehog to their natural predator?

No, it wasn't. Silver hadn't taught him about maiming hedgehogs, only told him it was possible. Maybe, he thought he didn't need to. If their friendship was as close as Sonic had assumedly described it to Silver, why wouldn't Tails know how to kill a hedgehog by now?

This was the dark truth. He didn't know how to uncurl a hedgehog. Sonic had never done it, even when they wrestled as children. But if a hedgehog ran for their lives, he would know how to kill it. He'd learned all about maneuvering his arms in and around their spines, about keeping them from turning their spines into weapons. Their front sides were weak. It was imperative to keep them from turning around.

As he watched Silver walk to Sonic and Blaze, one thought struck him: Silver had long, beautiful white spines that could pierce flesh and tear through the densest clothes. But if he followed his own advice, he would be very, _very_ easy to kill.

In the end, he supposed that was what it came down to. Tails was built to be adept at killing. Silver was built to be adept at being killed. They could defy it, but they could not deny it. It was the universal truth of their world.

He just never expected his analysis to become true so quickly.

* * *

After they visited the garden, Sonic took Tails on his own tour around the campus, showing him the track ring and the places where he liked to relax with his friends. As they spoke and walked around, Tails found it hard to believe they had really been apart for three years. With the way their friendship immediately resumed as normal, it felt like Sonic had only left for secondary school yesterday.

They climbed up Sonic's favourite tree, a tall willow that he took naps in whenever he skipped classes and wanted to avoid the teacher patrols in the dormitories. The branches were thick and the billowing leaves shielded them from view. Tails could imagine resting here on lazy days. It was peaceful.

"What did you guys talk about?" Sonic sprawled out on the thickest branch, taking up as much room as he could. "It seemed kind of intense."

Tails wanted to tell him, but there was a silent agreement between the two of them that rendered the truth impossible. Sonic didn't like to talk about predators and prey anymore than Tails did. Discussing Silver's lavender therapy seemed to breach this rule, so he warped it.

"He was telling me about lavender oil. He gives it to students with anxiety," Tails lied carefully. "I thought it was stupid. Pressing petals into oil won't cure something determined by nature. It's not very scientifically sound, you know."

Closing his eyes, Sonic didn't seem to detect the lie. "Yeah, well, he's always doing weird stuff like that. I warned you that my roommates aren't normal."

Tails smiled impishly. "That must be why you fit in so well with them."

Sonic wagged a finger at him. "Don't start. You're the one trying to get into that nerd class for dogs."

"It's not just for dogs," Tails snapped defensively. He regretted the harsh tone as soon as the words came out, but he couldn't help it. Acceptance into the special class had been a dream since he was young. The acknowledgement of the species barrier in his way would always make him angry.

The special class was an exclusive class only available to the top four students of Cherryton's senior year. Although species wasn't a requirement, the class had only been filled by dog students for the past several years. On the surface, it made sense; they were loyal, intelligent, and obedient to the bone. In a way, they were practically designed to ingest and regurgitate information. Foxes were smart, but their perception as clever animals was hampered by their playful and rebellious tendencies. No matter how intelligent Tails could become, the special class interviewer would always first see him as someone that would avoid homework and cause mischief in class.

It wasn't the worst stereotype, he supposed. But he would always despise it for sabotaging his academic chances.

Sonic seemed unbothered by his tone. "You shouldn't worry about not being a dog," he told him. "All the teachers know you by the time you get to senior year. Keep up your reputation as the quiet smart kid and they'll accept you in an instant."

Whatever pressure predators felt to remain calm and innocent at all times, applied to Tails tenfold. Stepping out of line would ruin his chances. He was determined to never let that happen.

"You're right," Tails said with a sigh. "It just stresses me out."

"I still compete with predators, did you know that? Really, I should be in the league with the small prey mammals. But I get to play in the big leagues. That's how fast I am." Using his foot, he prodded Tails in the shoulder. "When I tell you not to worry, I mean it. Don't be stupid like everyone else. Nature can be defied if you try hard enough."

Tails smiled, but it was hard to take Sonic's advice seriously. Defying physical barriers was much simpler than defying social ones. It would be much harder for Tails to be accepted as a serious student than for Sonic to prove his worth in athletics. Not that he would ever vocalize these complaints. He had no intention of diminishing Sonic's accomplishments because of his own insecurity.

A jingle rang through the speakers set up around campus. Sonic let out an exaggerated groan.

Curfew.

* * *

The call came at night, long after Tails had retired to the predator dorms and snuggled into his warm bunk bed compartment. The curtains were kept open to allow the flow of moonlight, which shined down through their window and illuminated the faces of his roommates. Canines of various shapes and sizes, they had excitedly introduced themselves to Tails upon his arrival and then promptly fallen asleep. Perhaps being a fox wasn't all that bad, after all. He would never feel the need to sleep because a jingle over the speakers told him to.

Staying awake well past midnight, Tails quietly worked on a coding project on his laptop. He'd never been one to get much sleep, and he liked to use what little free time he had after school and homework to work on his personal projects. The threat of all-consuming exhaustion had never deterred him enough to overcome this bad habit.

He had just finished off a line of code when his phone began to buzz. It buzzed, and buzzed, and never stopped. He picked it up with the intention of turning off its vibrations.

_**Incoming call: Sonic.** _

Weird. Sonic was never one to lose sleep over anything. Why was he still awake?

He accepted the call. "Hello?"

The first thing he heard was the sound of crying. Then, when he strained his hearing, he could hear sirens from outside his window. " _Silver never came home at curfew."_ Sonic's voice was strained, and he breathed in sharply between words. _"Security just found him in the garden."_

It was hard to speak his next words, because he already knew the answer. "What happened?"

Around him, a loud alarm began to scream into his dorm room. Tails blocked his ears with his hands and his roommates stirred as they woke up to the noise.

An elder woman's voice crackled through the speakers.

_"Cherryton Students, please remain where you are. This a code violet emergency."_

The german shepherd across from Tails yawned. "What does that mean?"

Tails brought his phone to his ear, but there was no sound. He looked at the screen. The call was dropped.

He swallowed and took deep breaths. It felt as though his chest was about to implode from fear.

"A hedgehog was eaten in the garden."

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so, so much for reading! we hope you'll join us for future chapters :D


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